Clemens, Damon lead Yankees past Red Sox

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BRONX, New York (Ticker) -- The Boston Red Sox could not do
much against one former teammate and again could not contain
another.

Roger Clemens tossed six solid innings and Johnny Damon
delivered a two-run single as the New York Yankees crept closer
in the division race Wednesday with a 4-3 victory over the Red
Sox.

Alex Rodriguez added an important home run for New York (74-59),
which climbed within six games of first-place Boston (80-53) in
the American League East Division. The Yankees, who improved
to a major league-best 31-16 since the All-Star break, also
pulled even with the Seattle Mariners (73-58) atop the wild card
standings.

"Roger was great tonight," Rodriguez said. "He threw great, and
he brings a lot to this team. He's as big a reason for this
resurgence."

Clemens (6-5) carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning despite
walking four over the first five frames. The seven-time Cy
Young Award winner retired leadoff hitter Dustin Pedroia in the
fifth before David Ortiz launched a towering home run to right
field, spoiling the no-hit bid as well as the shutout.

But Clemens got Jason Varitek to ground out with runners on the
corners and two outs later in the inning and turned over the
game to the bullpen. The future Hall of Famer yielded one run
and two hits with a season-high five walks and two strikeouts.

"I was trying to be as stingy as possible," said the 45-year-old
Clemens, who starred for the Red Sox from 1984-96. "I'm asking
my body to be 25 again. I'm pitching behind Andy Pettitte (in
the rotation) right now and we just have to win."

"Taking him out was tough to do," Yankees manager Joe Torre
said. "With a three-run lead, it's up to him. He's pitching
because it's still fun for him. It's a piece of history you're
watching out there. I was thinking, 'If it's a no-hitter, he's
going to stay out there.'"

Luis Vizcaino tossed a scoreless seventh, but Kyle Farnsworth
ran into trouble in the eighth, allowing a one-out single by
Mike Lowell before Kevin Youkilis belted a two-run shot to left,
reducing Boston's deficit to 4-3.

"I thought it could provide a spark, but unfortunately, it
didn't," Youkilis said of his career-high 14th homer.

Farnsworth came back to strike out J.D. Drew but then walked
Varitek, prompting Torre to call upon closer Mariano Rivera, who
retired Coco Crisp on a weak comebacker to end the inning.

Rivera then set down the side quietly in the ninth for his 22nd
save.

The Yankees gave Clemens all the support he needed in the second
inning, scoring three times against major league wins leader
Josh Beckett (16-6). Jorge Posada started the rally with a
one-out single and Robinson Cano drew a two-out walk before
Melky Cabrera delivered an RBI base hit to center field.

Following a wild pitch, Damon - who won Tuesday's game with a
two-run homer - singled to left-center, plating both runners for
a 3-0 lead.

"There was a lot of room over there," Torre said, referring to
where Damon placed his hit. "He did a good job."

"Johnny's a big part of this offense," Rodriguez added. "We
don't do anything without Johnny Damon."

Despite coming up with two big hits in as many days against his
former team, Damon does not find it any more sweeter than
helping the Yankees defeat any other club.

"It doesn't matter who we beat," said Damon, who was the hero
for Boston in Game Seven of its AL Championship Series win over
New York in 2004. "I know you guys want me to say it matters.
(I) just go out there and try to help my team win."

Ortiz's 25th blast of the season got the Red Sox within two
runs. The power-hitting designated hitter thought the homer
might provide a spark for his team but admitted it was difficult
getting to Clemens.

"At the time, I thought it could," Ortiz said. "(But) he was
hitting his spots. He's been steady for so long. At that age,
I'll be cutting grass in my backyard."

The spark was extinguished in the seventh by Rodriguez, who
lined a shot over the left-center field wall with two outs for
his major league-leading 44th homer and a 4-1 advantage. It
proved to be the difference, something the All-Star third
baseman was not expecting it to be when he hit it.

"I wasn't thinking about it at the time, but Joe's been
advocating that every at-bat is important," Rodriguez said.
"That's a great team over there."

"It came down to really one pitch," Beckett said. "It was a
good pitch in a good spot to a good hitter."

The blast was the 508th of Rodriguez's career, tying him with
Toronto's Frank Thomas for 20th place on the all-time list.

Beckett lasted 6 2/3 innings, surrendering four runs and a
career-high 13 hits. The righthander walked one and struck out
six.

"My job is to execute pitches," Beckett said. "They fouled good
pitches off and (got) good swings. They get good swings, they
get hits. ... I've been better, but I've definitely been worse."

"I saw a guy who left every ounce of what he had out there,"
Boston manager Terry Francona said of Beckett. "There were some
balls that were hit hard - that's part of the game - like that
hit by Johnny Damon."

The Red Sox played without star left fielder Manny Ramirez, who
left Tuesday's series opener with muscle spasms in his lower
back. The slugger also is not expected to play in Thursday's
finale against the Yankees.

"I don't think it's going to be a couple of days," Francona
said. "We'll just need to play this one out."